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<TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>PAPalBull <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>4:22 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>32597.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Vivian Balakrishnan – fallen off the speeding boat?
Posted by theonlinecitizen on March 30, 2010
<!--end: postmeta-->By Andrew Loh
Once upon a time, Vivian Balakrishnan was among a group of PAP candidates which was termed “super-seven” by the local mainstream media...
So, how has Vivian Balakrishnan fared – 10 years after having won in the 2001 elections under the PAP banner? What portfolios does he now hold? Let’s recap:
Chairman of the Remaking Singapore Committee – Defunct
Minister of State (Trade and Industry) – Now Lim Hng Kiang
Chairman of the National Youth Council – Now Teo Ser Luck
Senior Minister of State (Trade and Industry) – Now S Iswaran
Second Minister for Trade and Industry – Li Yee Shyan
Minister responsible for entrepreneurship – Now Li Yee Shyan
Minister for MCYS
Second Minister for Communications and the Arts (Mica) – Now, Lui Tuck Yew (Acting Minister)
Chairman of Young PAP – Now Teo Ser Luck
MP Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC
Youth Olympics – Now Teo Ser Luck
It looks like Vivian Balakrishnan has either fallen out of favour or may have been unable to handle the numerous portfolios given to him. Or it could simply mean that the PAP has found more people to shoulder the weight previously carried by him. Whatever the reasons, one thing’s for certain: Vivian Balakrishan’s once-shining star has diminished. Once said to be on a “speedboat for greater things”, he instead seems to have fallen off the boat.
What could be the reason?
One clue could perhaps be his public gaffes since becoming MP and minister. In his early years in office, according to this website,
At times, Vivian Balakrishnan’s emotional streak – such as during the debate on bar top dancing – leaves even his supporters with red faces:
In 2007, when he had become Minister for MCYS, another gaffe, this time in Parliament – and over a very sensitive subject. When MP for Jalan Besar GRC asked the government to raise Public Assistance for those in need, Vivian Balakrishnan retorted with what is now a classic:
That was in 2007. In 2008, when the issue came up again, MCYS finally raised PA assistance by a mere $30, to the dismay of many. Then in 2009, after some prodding by MPs, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in his Budget Speech, announced that PA assistance will be increased by a further S$30 to S$360 – a sort of slap in the face for Vivian Balakrishnan who had been unwilling to consider such an increase...
In 2010, the issue of homeless Singaporeans camping out in public parks apparently caught his ministry unawares. It was only after The Online Citizen brought the issue to the public’s attention that Vivian Balakrishnan’s ministry started to do something about it – but did it in a most condescending and threatening manner. The ministry brought police officers and Nparks officers to these areas and started to shout at and threaten the campers with fines, ordering them to remove themselves from the parks immediately.
Perhaps Vivian Balakrishan was upset at having been caught sleeping on the job. But nonetheless, despite his tough talk Vivian Balakrishnan seems to have had his wings clipped – and clipped severely...
For now, Vivian Balakrishnan has been a huge disappointment to those who had expected him to be a stand-up guy and speak up for the less fortunate – just as he was said to have done before joining the PAP...
“If you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place where you will have a roof over your head, where you will have food on the table…Even if you can’t afford it, we will have meals delivered to you.” – Vivian Balakrishnan, 2010
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Posted by theonlinecitizen on March 30, 2010
<!--end: postmeta-->By Andrew Loh
Once upon a time, Vivian Balakrishnan was among a group of PAP candidates which was termed “super-seven” by the local mainstream media...
So, how has Vivian Balakrishnan fared – 10 years after having won in the 2001 elections under the PAP banner? What portfolios does he now hold? Let’s recap:
Chairman of the Remaking Singapore Committee – Defunct
Minister of State (Trade and Industry) – Now Lim Hng Kiang
Chairman of the National Youth Council – Now Teo Ser Luck
Senior Minister of State (Trade and Industry) – Now S Iswaran
Second Minister for Trade and Industry – Li Yee Shyan
Minister responsible for entrepreneurship – Now Li Yee Shyan
Minister for MCYS
Second Minister for Communications and the Arts (Mica) – Now, Lui Tuck Yew (Acting Minister)
Chairman of Young PAP – Now Teo Ser Luck
MP Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC
Youth Olympics – Now Teo Ser Luck
It looks like Vivian Balakrishnan has either fallen out of favour or may have been unable to handle the numerous portfolios given to him. Or it could simply mean that the PAP has found more people to shoulder the weight previously carried by him. Whatever the reasons, one thing’s for certain: Vivian Balakrishan’s once-shining star has diminished. Once said to be on a “speedboat for greater things”, he instead seems to have fallen off the boat.
What could be the reason?
One clue could perhaps be his public gaffes since becoming MP and minister. In his early years in office, according to this website,
“… when you listen to his closed-door forums, you can sense a slight streak of controlled impatienceness and authoritarianism in him… In 2002, he labelled the Malaysian Media as “wild animals”, which is quite an unprecedented comment made by any Singaporean Ministers.”
Indeed, in February 2009, Vivian Balakrishnan, who was then Second Minister for Mica, made an explicit threat to those in cyberspace:
“Anonymity in cyberspace is an illusion…..if need be, we can identify you, and if we have to, we will be prepared to prosecute you.” (21st Feb 2009, Channel NewsAsia.)
Ironically, the very next month (March 2009), his MICA portfolio was removed when PM Lee reshuffled his cabinet (see more below).
At times, Vivian Balakrishnan’s emotional streak – such as during the debate on bar top dancing – leaves even his supporters with red faces:
“If you want to dance, some of us will fall off that bar-top. Some people will die as a result of liberalising bar-top dancing, not just because they have fallen off the bar-top. Because usually a young girl, with a short skirt, dancing on a bar-top, may attract some insults from some other men, and the boyfriend starts fighting. Some people will die. Blood will be shed for liberalising this policy.”
Of course, no one died when bar-top dancing was eventually allowed and the minister probably heaved a huge sigh of relief – not that no one died (because no one would have) but because that episode was finally over and he could get over the public embarrassment of his statement.
In 2007, when he had become Minister for MCYS, another gaffe, this time in Parliament – and over a very sensitive subject. When MP for Jalan Besar GRC asked the government to raise Public Assistance for those in need, Vivian Balakrishnan retorted with what is now a classic:
“How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?”
It caused a public outcry.
That was in 2007. In 2008, when the issue came up again, MCYS finally raised PA assistance by a mere $30, to the dismay of many. Then in 2009, after some prodding by MPs, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in his Budget Speech, announced that PA assistance will be increased by a further S$30 to S$360 – a sort of slap in the face for Vivian Balakrishnan who had been unwilling to consider such an increase...
In 2010, the issue of homeless Singaporeans camping out in public parks apparently caught his ministry unawares. It was only after The Online Citizen brought the issue to the public’s attention that Vivian Balakrishnan’s ministry started to do something about it – but did it in a most condescending and threatening manner. The ministry brought police officers and Nparks officers to these areas and started to shout at and threaten the campers with fines, ordering them to remove themselves from the parks immediately.
Perhaps Vivian Balakrishan was upset at having been caught sleeping on the job. But nonetheless, despite his tough talk Vivian Balakrishnan seems to have had his wings clipped – and clipped severely...
For now, Vivian Balakrishnan has been a huge disappointment to those who had expected him to be a stand-up guy and speak up for the less fortunate – just as he was said to have done before joining the PAP...
“If you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place where you will have a roof over your head, where you will have food on the table…Even if you can’t afford it, we will have meals delivered to you.” – Vivian Balakrishnan, 2010
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